Tank car underframe structure



D. c. PRESCOTT TANK CAR UNDERFRAME STRUCTURE Aug. 13, 1935.

Filed Nov. 12, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 13, 1935. D. c. PRESCOTT TANKCAR UNDERFRAME STRUCTURE Filed NOV. 12, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 externalsource of power applied through suitable shafting. The portions ofchains or belts M between sprockets iland l8 travel along the bottom oftrough shaped center sill 2 and serve to carry loaded material to thecenter hopper 30. Each of the sprockets is located in position forconvenient inspection, the outer sprockets l6 and I! being mounted inhousings 32 at the end of the car, the. lower portions of which areformed by pockets "l9 projecting from the end member I of the underframeand provided with perforated bearing bosses 25 for mounting the sprocketshafts. The central lower sprockets 18' are carried by stub shafts 29mounted in bearing brackets 2i shown as formed integral with side wallsof the center sill above the hopper 30.

Various other elements may' be conveniently formed integral with theunderframe, such as the running board brackets 22, air brake reservoirbracket 23, brake cylinder bracket 24, and hand brake bracket 26.Secured to the tank side sheets are suitable brackets 21a mountingadditional running boards 28 to facilitat'eaccess tofithe manways andcenter dome. I

The one-piece construction of the underfr'a'me eliminates labor andexpense of machining and assembling various parts and also provides anunderframe which is stronger andmore durable than a built-upv structure.Another important advantage of the one-piece 'constructionis theelimination of crevices between joined members into which granularmaterials-may sift and which eventually would become loose'andimpair theusefulness of the vehicle. :.The' one-piece construction also permitslthedisposition of metalin such a Way as tojprovide' thegreatest'strength with the minimum amount :of metal. In particular, thecentersiil may be made of'suitable hollow construction to serve as aconveyor trough since underframeforces are distributedthroughout theside plates l as well as the centersill, Thebolsters and ribs'Z'i extenda substantial distance upwardly along the side'plates and reinforcethesame. I

Various details of the structure'illustrated are not essential, such,for instance, as the shaping of the side plates l and the center silltrough, the conveyormechanism used and the arrangement ofthelo'adingopenings, and thesemay be varied without departing'from the spirit ofthe invention and exclusive use of all such modifications as come withinthe scope of the appended claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1-. A railway vehicle trough-shaped center sill arranged toextend fromend to end of thevehicle underframe, the transverse web'of said sillsloping smoothly downwardly from the ends towards a centeroutlet openingand said sill having bearings for mounting conveyor mechanisms.

'2. 'A tank car integral cast metal underframe structure includingupwardly and outwardly sharply sloping side plates of substantial depth,and a trough-shaped center sill connecting the lower extremities of saidplates, said' plates merging with each other at the ends to formsubstantial portions of the tank end members and the lower portions ofsaid end members forming the ends of the transverse web of said sill.

3. In a railway vehicle, superstructure including a conveyor mechanismpocket projecting from the end wall thereof, and an integral underframestructure including a conveyor trough and side plates forming portionsof the car bottom, said side plates merging at the ends to formsubstantial portions of the superstructure end wall and being bulgedoutwardly to form continuations of said pocket.

4. In a car for transporting granular materials in bulk, a conveyortrough having an outlet opening, and substantially flat side platessloping upwardly and outwardly from said trough, said plates and troughextending from end to end of the car body and forming the car underframefor transmitting longitudinal forces.

5. In a tank car, a continuous thickness of metal formingthe tank bottomand also forming the car center sill, said metal having an opentrough-shaped part and bolster structure extending beneath and outwardlyfrom the sides of said part.

6. In a tank car, a continuous thickness of metal forming the tankbottom and also forming the mainlongitudinal member of the carunderframe, said metal including a longitudinal troughshaped portionextending from 'end to end of the underframe, and bolster structureextending beneath said trough-shaped portion and having top wallelements formed in part by the bottom wall of said trough-shapedportion.

'7. In a tank car, a continuous thickness 'of metal forming the tankbottom and also forming the main longitudinal force transmitting memberof the car underframe, and bolster structure depending from said metaland spaced from the ends of the car, said metal including an open troughextending longitudinally therealong and passing through said bolsterstructure.

8. In a railway car underframe, a trough-like member forming the mainlongitudinal member of the underframe and the bottom of a tankstructure, and bolster arms projecting outwardly from the upright sidesof said member intermediate its ends.

;9. In a railway car, tank structure, a deep trough in the bottomthereof and extending smoothly from end to end thereof, and bolsterstructure including arms extending outwardly from the sides of saidtrough, there being a conveyor mechanism operating in said trough belowthe level. of the top of said bolster structure.

10. A tank car underframe structure including a hollow center sillforming a conveyor trough, side plates sloping outwardly'and upwardlyfrom said sill for directing lading material thereinto, and other platesmerging with said side plates and extending around the end of theunderframe to form part of the car end wall and bulged outwardly in linewith said centersill for accommodating conveyor mechanism.

DANIEL o. *PRE'scoTr.

